THE MODERN PART OF AN Universal History, FROM THE Earliest AccOUNT of TIME. Compiled from ORIGINAL WRITER S. By the AUTHORS of the ANTIENT PART. IN RECTO DE CVS LONDON: A. MILLAR, Printed for. T. OSBORNE, A. MILLAR, JOHN RIVINGTON, S. CROWDER, B. LAW and Co. T. LONGMAN, and C. WAR E. M.DCC.LXVI. PREFACE. A FTER a long delay, occafioned by a variety of accidents which could not be foreseen, the Modern Univerfal Hiftory now makes its appearance; and the Editors hope it will be found entitled to fome degree of public approbation. They are perhaps more fenfible than the readers can be of its defects, but they plead in alleviation, that the greater part of thofe defects. are fuch as could not be remedied; nor was it even practicable to finish the work according to the letter of the plan on which it was undertaken. We will venture however to affirm, that this Modern Universal History, with all its imperfections on its head, is by far the compleatest work of the kind that ever was offered to the public in any nation or language. An author who fits down with a plenitude of materials for relating paft events, is apt to applaud himself upon his arrangements, and the lights which he is enabled to throw upon particular periods. He is encouraged to hope that he fhall find the fame magazines, and the fame variety of provifions at every stage of his historical progrefs. How miferably he is deceived, our experience can teftify. Nothing is more accidental than the materials of history. A great genius often arises in a barbarous age and country, that elucidates facts; and perhaps for three ages after, the Modern Hiftorian has but the uncertain glimmerings of uncertain events to direct him. A reader is diffatisfied with his narrative falling off, and dwindling into conjectures, or entirely ceafing, perhaps, for years. The author forefees this; he lays afide his pen that he may employ his industry in exploring new fources, in difcovering hoards of unnoticed materials, fome of them poffibly lurking in the refufes of printed literature, others concealed amidft loads of monkish lumber in corners that the human eye never furveyed; and more than probably, after the difcovery is made, the author can make nothing of it till it is tranfcribed by a hand that is acquainted with the writing and the language. Such are the difficulties of writing hiftory; happy if we can get over them; but in fome periods they are unfurmountable. The writers. of a Modern Univerfal History feel them more than those of a particular ftate, because they occur in the annals of every kingdom and people; and confequently their labour to fupply them must be encreafed according to the different heads of their undertaking. That this complaint is well founded, muft be admitted by every reader who perufes this work; but the reafon of the defects are, perhaps, not fo obvious. The ignorance of the ix the times treated of is the most striking, and yet even that is not always irreparable. How lame was the history of Italy between the fifth and fourteenth centuries! Writers were not agreed about the parentage and connections even of the famous countefs Matilda; and the wickednefs of the Roman pontiffs was fo incredible, that their votaries pleaded that the whole of their history was a romance. But dark as those ages were, fome unnoticed men of letters exifted in cells and convents; the only utility of fuch retirements. Sometimes ambition, intrigue, or the pleasure of their fuperiors, brought them into the world; and after acting their parts on the stage of life, they were comfortably provided for, and had leifure to reduce what they had feen into writing. Their precious remains have faved the hiftories of feveral periods in various nations from oblivion; but unfortunately for the republic of letters, they often lay dormant for ages, till happy industry brought them to light, and at once difpelled the clouds and glare of fiction that ufurped their room, To enumerate inftances of this kind would be the fame as to compile an hiftorical library; but the truth of our obfervation (to give one instance out of a thousand) is established by Muratori's collections of the hiftory of Italy. How long did thofe valuable remains lye buried from all knowledge of the world; and what lights have they thrown upon history fince they were difcovered! The editors of this work think |